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History

The history of Amisfield Park is contained in a small booklet* published in 2001 and available from Kesley's Bookshop in Haddington. The following information is based on that publication, considerably condensed.

Colonel Francis Charteris (1675-1732) bought the lands and house of New Mills in 1713, and changed its name to Amisfield. His grandson Francis Wemyss Charteris (1723-1808), 7th Earl of Wemyss, is the person who made the largest changes to the Amisfield estate. He built a large mansion - Amisfield House - altered the course of the river Tyne, landscaped the grounds, and moved the kitchen garden to a new Walled Garden built in 1783. The Summerhouse, or Banqueting House, was also built around this time.

From 1881 until the First World War, Amisfield House was rented out. During the War the House was requisitioned, and provided accommodation for the Lothian and Border Horse regiment. Afterwards, the interior of the House was dismantled and became derelict. In 1923 it was sold to a local builder, who demolished it and used the stone for school, hospital and house building locally.

Amisfield Park became an army camp during the Second World War, housing the Sherwood Foresters and a unit of Polish forces. It was later used as a prisoner-of-war  camp and a camp for displaced Ukrainian prisoners. The Walled Garden was ploughed up for potatoes.  

* Amisfield Park: Discovering a Hidden landscape. Amisfield Woodland Group 2001

During the First World War the House was requisitioned, and provided accommodation for the Lothian and Border Horse regiment.

The Walled Garden was ploughed up for potatoes during the Second World War.

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An early map showing Amisfield House coloured pink with the adjacent stable block and the walled garden beyond.